Conan O’Brien, Jack Black, Matthew Broderick and Ben Stiller were among those who took the stage to honor the 44-year-old with what is considered the nation’s top award for comedy. The audience was also entertained with clips from Ferrell’s career, and his famous impression of former President George W. Bush was a real hit with the politically oriented crowd.

Upon accepting the bronze statute, Ferrell promptly dropped it, and then tried to pick up the broken pieces.

The Mark Twain Prize has been given annually since 1998. Previous winners include Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal and Richard Pryor. The ceremony was taped for broadcast October 31 on PBS.